Water-tower.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1 907.

W. H. SHAFER.

WATER TOWER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1906.

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WILLIAM H. SHAFER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

WATER-TOWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed April 19, 1906- Serial No. 312,608.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SHAFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Towers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to water towers of the class adapted to use in fire fighting, and the objects of my improvement are to provide an extensible tower with a turret nozzle, with a conning deck and with means for the access of the operator thereto; to provide means for moving and maintaining the nozzle in different vertical angles; to provide a turret mechanism for moving and maintaining the nozzle in different hori zontal angles; to provide a more direct water way and consequent decrease in the loss of pressure due to diverting the stream through the nozzle at sharp angles; and'to provide a light and durable construction combined with facility of operation and an increased efficiency in action. These objects are attained in the following described manner, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away and parts in section of a water tower embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 a front elevation with parts broken away; Fig. 3 a plan with parts in section on the line a a of Fig. 2; Fig. ,4, a plan of the nozzle controlling mechanism and Fig. 5, a detail of construction with parts in longitudinal section and parts in elevation.

In-thedrawings, 1 represents the upper portion of the main mast or derrick of a water tower which is usually mounted on a truck and provided with means for elevating it in different vertical angles, and with means for turning it in different horizontal angles, all being constructed and arranged in the ordinary manner (not shown).

The tubular top mast 2, is extensibly mounted within the main mast between series of guide rolls 3 thereon and is arranged in the ordinary manner at its lower end (not shown) to detachably engage with a'hose adapted to. communicate with a water plug or other source of water under pressure. A pulley 4 secured to the main mast carries a cable 5 which has one of its ends secured to the lower end (not shown) of the top mast and its other end secured to a ratchet controlled drum (not shown) whereby the top mast may be moved and maintained in different longitudinal positions in relation to the main mast and in the ordinary manner.

An extensible ladder consists of a lower member 6 secured to the bottom mast by means of guide straps 7 and of the upper member 8 which is pivotally secured to the top mast by means of bracket 9 whereby it is movable longitudinally therewith and between the guide straps 7. A caged conning deck 11 secured to is preferably provided with a protecting wall 13 and also with a hinged bottom 14 for the passage of the operator therethrough between its interior and the ladder.

A short section of flexible tubing or fire hose 15 provided with a discharge nozzle 16 forms a turret extension of the top mast to which it is secured by means of a swivel joint consisting of movable and fixed members 17 and 18. Telescopic or extensible ,arms 21 are provided with segmental worm gears 22 and trunnioned at the center of said gears on opposite sides of the movable member 17 of the swivel joint. Said arms terminate in pivotal engagement with a collar 23 which is secured on the extremity of the flexible tubing and to which the nozzle 16 is removably secured. Worm shafts 2-1 journaled in bearings 25 formed on opposite sides of member 17 of the swivel joint mesh with. the respective segmental gears 22 and are provided with a sprocket wheel and chain connection 20 whereby they are movable only simultaneously. A hand wheel 26 secured on one of the worm shafts 24 serves to move and maintain the arms 21 with the tubing in a curved position and with the nozzle in different angles to the axis of the top mast as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

A pilot wheel 27 secured on member 17 of the swivel joint directly under the worm shafts 24 thereon serves to rotatively adjust the tubing 15 on the top mast and to direct the nozzle in different radial planes therefrom as shown in Fig. 4. The swivel joint together withthe mechanism thereon for controlling the nozzle may be successfully applied to stand pipes on fire tugs or elsewhere.

In operation, the tower may be raised or turned in any desired vertical or horizontal angle in the ordinary well known manner. The top mast together with the upper member of the ladder maybe extended as desired by means of the cable mechanism or otherwise. The operator can mount the ladder and enter the cage on the conning deck through the bottom door therein. In this protected position the operator is in the most favorable position for observation and by means of the hand and pilot wheels is enabled to control the nozzle and direct the stream of water therefrom in the most eflicient manner.

' Having fully described my improvement what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination of a derrick, a tube movable longitudinally therein, a flexible tube swiveled thereon and terthe top of the mast and terminating in a nozzle, a pilot wheel for rotating, and hand actuated lever mechanism for bending, the flexible tube, said pilot wheel and said tensibly mounted therein, a conning deck mounted on its of the inflexible tube and provided with a nozzle, extensible means of access to the deck, hand actuated mechanism accessible from the deck for either rotating or bending the flexible tune, and hand actuated mechanism for position? in relation to the derrick.

YVILLIAM H. SHAFER.

Witnesses MAssIE SHAFER, R. S. CARR.

upper portion, a flexible tube swiveled on the upper end 15 moving and maintaining the tube in different extensible 2 

